Charcuterie Cure Calculator

How It Works

Meat curing uses salt and nitrite to preserve meat, prevent botulism, and develop the characteristic pink color and cured flavor. This calculator supports two methods:

Equilibrium cure (modern): You add exactly the amount of salt and curing salt you want in the final product. The meat is vacuum-sealed or submerged, and over time the salt distributes evenly. You cannot over-cure — the meat simply reaches equilibrium.

Excess cure (traditional): You pack the meat in more salt than it can absorb. Curing is faster but less precise. The traditional ratio is approximately 2.5g Prague Powder #1 per kg of meat with 15.9g salt per kg.

Key safety math:

• Prague Powder #1 contains 6.25% sodium nitrite
• USDA maximum ingoing nitrite is 156 ppm
• Equilibrium formula: cure weight = meat weight × target ppm ÷ 62,500

How to Use

1. Select curing method — Equilibrium for precision (recommended for beginners), Excess for traditional recipes
2. Enter meat weight — total weight of the meat to be cured, in grams
3. Set salt concentration (equilibrium only) — 2-3% is typical; 2.5% is a safe default
4. Set target nitrite (equilibrium only) — 150 ppm is conservative and well within USDA limits
5. Select curing salt — Prague Powder #1 for short cures, #2 for long dry cures, or none for salt-only
6. Check safety status — green means safe, yellow means near the limit, red means above USDA maximum

Tips

• Always weigh curing salt on a precision scale (0.1g resolution minimum). Small errors in curing salt have outsized safety impact.
• Equilibrium curing is more forgiving — you literally cannot over-cure because the math caps the maximum nitrite concentration.
• Cure time scales with thickness, not weight. A thin belly cures faster than a thick pork loin of the same weight.
• Keep meat at 2-4°C (36-39°F) during curing. Warmer temperatures risk bacterial growth before the cure penetrates.
• Prague Powder #2 releases nitrite slowly via nitrate conversion — use only for products aged longer than 4 weeks (salami, bresaola, prosciutto).
• Never substitute saltpeter (potassium nitrate) without recalculating — it has different nitrite yield and concentration.

FAQ

What is the difference between equilibrium and excess curing?

Equilibrium curing adds exactly the salt/cure you want absorbed — the meat reaches a predictable final concentration. Excess curing packs the meat in far more salt than it can absorb, relying on time to control penetration. Equilibrium is more precise and harder to mess up; excess is faster but can produce inconsistent results.

Is Prague Powder #1 the same as pink curing salt?

Yes. Prague Powder #1, Cure #1, Insta Cure #1, and pink curing salt #1 are all the same product: 6.25% sodium nitrite mixed with 93.75% table salt, dyed pink to prevent confusion with regular salt. Do not confuse with Himalayan pink salt, which has no nitrite.

What happens if I exceed 156 ppm nitrite?

At 156 ppm, the USDA considers the level safe for consumption. Above this, the risk of forming nitrosamines (potential carcinogens) increases, particularly when the meat is cooked at high temperatures (like frying bacon). This calculator warns you before you reach unsafe levels.

How long should I cure meat?

For equilibrium curing: approximately 1 day per 500g (or per 2.5cm thickness) for full penetration. A 1kg pork belly typically needs 5-7 days. For excess curing: similar time but the surface cures faster while the center takes longer. Always err on the side of more time — under-cured meat is a food safety risk.

Can I cure without nitrite (salt only)?

Yes, but the result will be different. Salt-only curing produces gray meat without the pink color or characteristic "cured" flavor. More importantly, without nitrite you have no protection against Clostridium botulinum. Salt-only cures require higher salt concentrations (3-4%) and careful temperature control.

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Last reviewed: June 2026